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Michiel van der Zanden (b. 1979 in Gorinchem, The Netherlands) is a visual artist fascinated by the language of games and 3D graphics. He grew up playing playing first-person shooters and looking at virtual environments through the eyes of a painter.

Van der Zanden is not simply fascinated by games. He sees in gaming an attempt to recreate daily life phenomena through simulation. This desire can also be found in children’s toys and amusement parks, model making, and advertising. Van der Zanden's practice combines realistic painting and computer generated imagery. His work is characterized by a constant interaction between the real and virtual, between classical painting and digital imaging. The outcome is a painting style that looks like it was produced by a computer program, but also overly synthetic sculptures and software-based videos. Van der Zanden lives and works in Breda, Netherlands.

Michiel van der Zanden's machinima, Pwned Paintings #1 and Pwned Paintings #2 are currently on display in theRECORD level of GAME VIDEO/ART. A SURVEY.

This video was created by the students of IULM's Master's Program in Arts, Markets, and Cultural Heritage. Editing and Subtitles: Mariacristina Maffeo.